Since the confusion over 3G spectrum auction continues unabated, I decided to obtain the MTNL 3G Jadoo connection to see for myself if there really was any “jadoo” in it.

Obtaining the connection itself was not so bad, once I had the right application form and had figured out  the documents they need (address proof, PAN number – it seems you will soon need a PAN number to be able to even breathe!) and the SIM was handed over across the counter after paying the activation fee in cash.

MTNL offers limited 3G coverage in Delhi and it at the moment covers only a large part the british built, government babu infested “New Delhi” – which of course offers not much joy to someone like me who works out of South Delhi and lives in Gurgaon. A few google searches let me not only get a list of coverage areas,  but I also found this  3G map of Delhi. Of course testing the 3G meant that I would need to be in one of this areas -  so I inserted the MTNL SIM in my Nokia E71 and drove to South Extension which seemed to be the closest point from office.

Here are my findings :

• My phone was able to switch automatically from GPRS / EDGE to 3G as soon as it found the 3G signal.
• Overall internet browsing experience on the handset was good with a noticebale  improvement in the time taken for images to load.
• A quick speed test at www.dslreports.com showed a speed of 170 kbps, as compared to the 60 – 80 kbps that I get over GPRS.
• Browsed a few more sites, and immediately noticed that the phone seemed much warmer in the hand than usual. The phone battery was definitely heating up.
• Did a skype to skype voice call (using Fring on my mobile). Though there was still a perceptible lag, I was still able to make a reasonable conversation.
• Radio streams from last.fm using Mobbler played without a hiccup.
• Connected the handset to my laptop and speed tests showed 250 kbps download and 150 kbps upload speeds.

I haven’t been able to try MTNLs mobile TV – the settings didn’t work and MTNLs customer care has not been of much help so far. Also I am keen to try out the video call over 3G but I guess I will need to find another 3G customer willing to experiment.

Overall, while the “jadoo” works, limited coverage area is a big limitation. Also, the tariff needs to be rationalized. For someone like me, used to Airtel’s unlimited data GPRS plan,  the Rs. 5.00 per MB  tariff may not work.

Tags: 3G, MTNL, MTNL 3g, Nokia E71

I have been using the Sportstracker application on my Nokia E71 to measure the time and distance of my rather infrequent morning walks.

I discovered that the Sportstracker software allows the export of the information related to speed, distance, time etc in various formats; one of them being Google Earth. While I was able to upload this file to My Google Maps, a quick web search revealed a host of plugin that allow the exported KML files to be displayed as a customized google map within a WordPress post. I have downloaded and activated a plugin called XML Google Maps to show my morning walk track on a map of my neighbourhood below:

Map A

Here is another KML file showing the route that I took from home to work, again captured using Nokia Sportstracker, except that I did not walk or run but sat comfortably in the car:

Map B

Yet another exciting use for my E71 !

Check out the maps above in the “Earth” view. You will need a Google Earth plugin for the browser. Works currently only with IE6, IE7 and Firefox, but the 3D view rocks.

Tags: Geo mapping, Google Earth, Google Maps, GPS, KML, Nokia E71, Sportstracker

It’s been about a month since I have been using the new Nokia E71. To say the least, I am more than happy with the phone.

I was using a Nokia E62 earlier, and the new phone gives me everything that was lacking in the E62. To being with, the form factor and the styling is a huge improvement. It is a much sleeker and better designed phone. The E62 felt as if one was holding a brick. Though the full qwerty keyboard is a bit cramped, the new design of the keys have an intuitive feel and make typing a breeze. Gone also is the sluggishness of the old E62.

The applications that I really dig on the phone are:

• Email – with great support for IMAP-IDLE for an almost Blackberry like push email experience. Support for multiple email accounts, although I haven’t discovered a way yet of download mail for all POP accounts with a single key press.
• Web browser and RSS reader – great experience now that I have a power of a WLAN enabled phone, I often don’t have to switch on my laptop at home.
• Voipbuster – I have set this up as my default VOIP service and am making full use of 120 day free calling feature. Beats the default application – Gizmo anyday.
• WorldMate – Great world clock, weather and currency convertor
• GPS– I have been experimenting with GPS for work and this is just great for capturing Latitude-Longitude coordinates.
• Nokia Maps – Used the voice navigation features ( I believe it is free for the first three months). Great novelty to show off to family and friends but with mixed results. I have seen the navigation feature get terribly confused with narrow parallel lanes and with the traffic diversions that Delhi Metro has created. Also, it can’t find a road to the new Hyderabad airport (Technically, the new airport is not in Hyderabad but in Shamshabad, maybe that’s why) – But overall a great app and I was surprised at the level of overall accuracy of Delhi maps.
• Google Maps
• Sportstracker – Great for tracking your walks / jogs. I actually went for a morning walk thanks to this app, though only once
• Fring – Great for Skype calls using the WLAN and for chat using the Airtel GPRS connection.

I haven’t tested the camera at all. As a serious amateur photographer, I do look down upon mobile phone camera’s, but it does have some nifty features like white balance control, flash modes, different scene modes including portrait, night and night portrait.

The only down side seems to be small screen size, but then life is all about compromises. Another minor peeve is that the screen and the back cover seem to attract fingerprints and I seem to be cleaning the phone first every time I pick it up. But, all in all, I think the Nokia E71 does offer great value for money.

Tags: GPS, Maps, Mobile, Navigation, Nokia E71